Find Local Wisconsin Criminal Defense Lawyers And Attorneys

Our criminal defense attorneys in Wisconsin may be able to help prove you weren’t intentionally attempting to harm another person but felt it was necessary to avoid becoming harmed yourself.

Understanding what your rights are as a citizen in the state of Wisconsin can determine how you are charged in the event you engage in an act that is otherwise considered a crime. According to the Wisconsin State Legislature, Statute 939.48, a person has the right to threaten or intentionally use force against another being to prevent or terminate any interference that they believe is going to impose harm on them. They cannot use force that is intended to cause death or great bodily harm unless they feel the force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.

Self-defense can often become a controversial topic as some believe a person’s act of violence was out of intent rather than out of defending themselves and their wellbeing which is why these types of cases can become rather tricky to deal with. If you are facing a charge for a crime you feel occurred because you were acting out of self-defense, give one of the featured Wisconsin criminal defense lawyers on our site a call immediately. Rather than having to spend time in jail and/or pay fines you cannot afford, let a professional who understands how these laws work represent you and your case.

Understanding Self Defense

To give you a better idea of when and how a person can plead their engagement in a criminal act was out of self-defense, below are a few details explained from the statute itself.

If a person uses force against another person who unlawfully or forcibly enters their dwelling, motor vehicle, place of business, or was already in their dwelling without being permitted to do so, they may claim their reason for imposing the harm was out of self-defense.

If an individual is found within another person’s car, dwelling, or place of business and it is believed they entered prior with force, self-defense may be a feasible plea is they feel they must defend themselves by harming the other person.

While these are legitimate circumstances where self-defense may be accepted by a court as your reason for acting violently against another person, there are exceptions to the law. For instance, if the person who found inside a dwelling, vehicle, or place of business was performing his or her official duties and harm was inflicted on them, claiming you behaved in the manner you did to protect yourself may not be a viable reason.

It all comes down to the circumstances surrounding the incident and whether the person whom you believed to be a threat to you had the intention to harm you.

While you may not have been charged or convicted for committing a violent crime you felt was out of self-defense, you may be facing charges for something with lesser or harsher penalties. If you are looking to get your penalties reduced, simply give us a call and one of our agents will be more than happy to help you find the best defense attorneys in the field who are available to assist you.